Graduate Student Staff Benefits (S-3)

Standard: S-3
Responsible Executive: Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Responsible Office: Office of Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars
Date Issued: January 1, 2016
Date Last Revised: July 1, 2024

Table of Contents

Contacts
Individuals and Entities Affected
Statement of Standard
Responsibilities
Definitions (defined terms are capitalized throughout the document)
Related Documents, Forms and Tools
History and Updates
Appendix

Contacts

Clarification of Standard

Director of Graduate Studies and Fellowships
765-494-2924 | gradweb@purdue.edu

Campus Specific Questions

Fort Wayne: Director of Graduate Studies
260-481-6111 | grad@pnw.edu

Northwest: Director of Graduate Studies
219-989-2257 | grad@pnw.edu

West Lafayette:
HR Employee Relations
765-496-7260
or Director of Graduate Studies and Fellowships
765-494-2924 | gradweb@purdue.edu

Individuals and Entities Affected

Graduate Student Staff and all colleges, schools, departments, offices and other units of the University who employ Graduate Student Staff.

Statement of Standard

Purdue University provides the following benefits to Graduate Student Staff. Supplementary details and procedures are outlined in the Graduate Staff Employment Manual.

Leaves

1. Academic-year Graduate Student Staff are in vacation status when classes are not in session for the following:
   • Labor Day
   • Fall/October Break
   • Thanksgiving Break/Vacation
   • The period beginning the day after grades are due for the fall semester and ending seven days prior to the day classes begin for the spring semester (Refer to the Graduate Staff Employment Manual section on Pay Schedules)
   • Martin Luther King, Jr Day
   • Spring Break/Vacation
2. Fiscal-year, Benefits-Eligible Graduate Student Staff receive paid leave for all official University holidays. They also receive paid vacation leave as follows:
   • Fiscal-year, Benefits-Eligible Graduate Student Staff are granted vacation leave at the staff member’s normal rate of pay. Vacation leave begins to accrue in accordance with the schedule below in direct proportion to the staff member’s FTE from the date of their employment up to a maximum of 176 hours per fiscal year for full-time staff. Vacation credits in excess of the maximum are forfeited.
     • September and March: 8 hours for full-time staff
     • All remaining months: 16 hours for full-time staff
   • Graduate Student Staff members who transfer to any other employment classification (i.e., faculty, regular staff, etc.) cannot transfer their unused vacation leave balance to the new position. Any unused vacation is forfeited.
   • Upon termination of employment with the University, the staff member’s unused vacation leave is forfeited and will not be paid to the staff member, nor may the staff member’s appointment be extended to cover any unused vacation.
3. Sick Leave: All Benefits-Eligible Graduate Student Staff are eligible for 10 working days of paid sick leave for employee illness within a 12-month period.
4. Family Illness: All Benefits-Eligible Graduate Student Staff are eligible for three working days of paid leave per fiscal year for illness of Immediate Family.
5. Other Leaves: Benefits-Eligible Graduate Student Staff on the West Lafayette campus are eligible for the additional types of leave listed below. Human Resources and Academic Affairs, jointly, on the Regional Campuses may approve the extension of one or more of these leaves to Graduate Student Staff on their campus in a consistent and equitable manner.
   • Parental Leave: As outlined in the policy on Paid Parental Leave (VI.E.3), as amended or superseded.
   • Bereavement: 1-5 working days of paid bereavement leave for the death of an Immediate Family member. The number of days and period of time in which they must be used are based on the relation to the staff member as outlined in the Graduate Staff Employment Manual.
   • Jury/witness duty: Paid leave at the Graduate Student Staff member’s regular salary for each workday missed as a result of serving as a juror or summoned witness in any federal, state or county court or a federal or state administrative agency. Voluntary service to the court or service as an expert witness does not entitle the individual to this benefit.
   • Military and worker’s compensation: As outlined in the policy on Leaves of Absence (VI.E.2), as amended or superseded.

Medical Insurance

Benefits-Eligible Graduate Student Staff on the West Lafayette campus may be eligible for participation in a medical insurance plan sponsored by the University. Refer to the Graduate Staff Employment Manual for details.

Miscellaneous

1. Spouse fee remission: The spouse of a Graduate Student Staff member on the West Lafayette campus is eligible for remission of the amount by which nonresident tuition exceeds resident tuition, but is responsible for all resident tuition and applicable fees. If the Graduate Student Staff member’s employment terminates before the end of the sixth week of a semester, or before the date specified by the Office of the Bursar for a summer session, the Graduate Student Staff member’s spouse will be responsible for all applicable tuition and fees for that semester or session.
2. Parking: Graduate Student Staff may be eligible for parking permits not otherwise offered to graduate students. Eligibility varies by campus and is determined by the campus parking authority.
3. Additional benefits may be offered as outlined in the Graduate Staff Employment Manual.

Responsibilities

Office of Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars

• Administer this standard.
• Maintain a Graduate Staff Employment Manual with detailed information and procedures to supplement this standard.
• Serve as a resource to Graduate Student Staff and hiring departments regarding benefits questions.

Graduate Student Staff

• Communicate with the hiring department and obtain appropriate prior approvals when requesting leave.
• Accurately complete required application for medical insurance, if eligible.
• Provide accurate information as requested for all other benefits that require a completed application or form.

Hiring Departments

• Administer leave for Graduate Student Staff in accordance with this standard and the Graduate Staff Employment Manual.
• Consult with the Office of Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars and/or Human Resources regarding employment questions.

Human Resources

• Serve as a resource to the Office of Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars and to hiring departments regarding benefits questions.

Definitions

All defined terms are capitalized throughout the document. Additional defined terms may be found in the central Policy Glossary.

Benefits-Eligible
A Graduate Student Staff appointment of 0.50 FTE or more that is expected to continue for more than a year (i.e., the position itself is expected to last more than a year; the individual’s appointment to the position may not). Two qualifying appointments of 0.25 FTE may be added together to meet the 0.50 FTE threshold.

FTE
The full-time equivalent for a Graduate Student Staff member’s appointment, with one (1) being full time.

Graduate Student Staff
Graduate students who are employed by the University, incidental to their graduate studies, to provide services that further the missions of the University while providing the students with valuable professional experience and financial remuneration. Refer to the policy on Terms and Conditions of Employment of Graduate Student Staff for further definition of the position classifications.

Immediate Family
The Graduate Student Staff member’s spouse, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, sisters, brothers, corresponding in-laws and step-relatives, and other family members who reside in the Graduate Student Staff member’s home.

Related Documents, Forms and Tools

This standard is issued in support of the policy on Terms and Conditions of Employment of Graduate Student Staff (VI.F.11), as amended or superseded.

Graduate Staff Employment Manual (PDF)

Policies:

• Academic-Year Employment (VI.F.12)
• Family and Medical Leave (S-26)
• Leaves of Absence (VI.E.2)
• Paid Parental Leave Policy (VI.E.3)
• Terms and Conditions of Employment of Graduate Student Staff (VI.F.11)

History and Updates

July 1, 2024: Updated Responsible Executive and Responsible Office. Updated Contacts section and changed Graduate School references to Office of Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars.

October 10, 2019: Vacation leave no longer has a waiting period and is calculated in hours instead of days. 

January 1, 2018: Definition of CUL changed to FTE; additional requirement for spouse fee remission noted.

January 1, 2017: References to Domestic Partner removed in accordance with the Board of Trustees resolution of December 19, 2015.

January 1, 2016: This standard supersedes the Vacation Policy for Graduate Student Employees (Executive Memorandum C-31) and versions of the Graduate Staff Employment Manual dated prior to November 2015. It establishes a comprehensive benefits standard for Graduate Student Staff.

Appendix

There are no appendices to this standard.